Quilts, interrupted

The Mariner's Compass quilt is done and on our bed! Hooray!
I am finding that having a quilt on the bed is excellent motivation to make the bed every morning! I can't remember the last time I've been so willing to straighten up as soon as I get out of bed. I even make Jimmy's bed everyday as well, so I can look at his quilt also!


I finished cutting everything for Keith's quilt and have started assembly, but had to put it aside because a couple of baby quilts came up, as baby quilts tend to do...


I might have one or two other interruptions to my sewing.

I also picked up a "Handmade" magazine and it has gotten a fire lit under my butt to create a few new things... after the baby blankets, and the TIF project which still needs to be assembled!

not too much today...

The Mariner's Compass quilt has returned from quilting... finally...
I have the binding on but it needs one more touch before I will call it finished.

In the mean time, I have started cutting and bundling up the parts for Keith's Christmas present. This is going to be a new pattern for me, but since I am so new to quilting, they're all new to me, right... Anyway, a couple of new techniques will be involved...


We draw names for Christmas on the one side of my family to keep the chaos to a minimum. It is a great scheme. This year we added that part of the one gift you give has to be homemade! Guess what I already had decided to make whoever I got... I have to say I was flattered that they all wanted me for their Kringle. (according to my Mom)

Finished!

Jimmy's quilt is finished. He asked for a white binding instead of the green one I picked out...
It is quilted in this pattern I have seen called both orange peel and wine glasses.


Here you can see the stripey stripey back!


It is just the right size for Jimmy's bed.


Check!

On to the next one!

August Take It Further Challenge

The theme for this month's challenge was "balance".

I was inspired to make this pillow from a few of the quilts I saw at a recent quilt show that sported labyrinth designs.

I know that the labyrinth is sometimes designed and implemented with meditative purposes, and that meditation can be used in the pursuit of balance. I balanced the two sides of the pillow by reversing the colors and tufting it with the same button on each side.

Stitching this was very calming and I enjoy tracing my finger through the design.



Enjoy!
You can click on the pictures for a larger version.

Holy Crap! August is OVER?!?

Man oh man I cannot believe how fast August flew by!
I had better get my ducks in a row. Let's start with the eggs...


Here is the set of pillowcases I made to go with Camas' quilt. I put prairie points along the edge. She loved it!


Jeff needed a flag. The Cat approved of my work.


I went to Quiltfest! It was a blast. I took a class from Shar Jorgenson.
All about the Apple Core and all those curved seams. This is what I made in class.


And this is how I am using it, but more on this later.


There were a ton of quilts I loved at the quilt show, but it was hard to get good pictures of them with all the people walking in front of me...
Here are some of my favorites. Credits below each quilt...

These parakeets looked so real! I could almost hear them chirping!



This one was great, too. If you looked closely, you would see that Granny was wearing fishnet stockings ( quilted on...)!



One of the two crazy quilts in the show.





I loved this one! I already asked for my Dad's ties so I can copy the idea!




At home I am preparing for our move in December and the reality that I won't have my sewing machine for 4-6 weeks while it is in transit...
I am clearing out as many UFO's (unfinished objects) as possible, starting with a stack represented by this small group of lavender sachets.


I made a rosette for an upcoming costume...


My color study round robin square came back, now I have to decide what I want to do with it...


I saw this idea in one of my magazines recently, and put this orphan slipper to good use. It made me a little sad that it is way too small for either of the boys' feet now...


Cute all the same, though!



I pieced a bunch of crazy quilt squares to pack into a kit to take with me on the move, so I won't be without some calming stitching to get me through the foolishness and mayhem of it all. Also I will have something to do in the evenings after the boys go to bed since we won't have a TV, either... (it'll be good for us!)





***Total Spoiler Alert!!! These are for you CAMAS! ***



These blocks are all naked, and I won't show them again until I have already mailed them to Camas, but thought you all would like a peek at them anyway. The figures are a pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. The initial is freehand. Some of the seams still need to be stitched down by hand, so pardon the pins and peeking corners.
You can click on any of the pictures to see them bigger.








I am working on Jimmy's quilt, as seen above. Jimmy picked out all the different greens.


I also pieced a couple of ocean wave -ish squares a couple of weeks apart.
Here is the recent one.

And the first one. I tried to make a diamond secondary pattern but messed it up in one quarter so I turned the rest of them so you couldn't tell...


I also forgot to check if the needle was centered when I stared the second block (it wasn't) so the second one is smaller than the first one with a hair larger seam allowance... I think I will put a narrow border around it and keep it separate from the other blocks...

Now I have to decide which way I want to make the rest of the blocks; to clump in quarters like the second one, try to do the secondary pattern of the first one, or say hell with it and go for scrappy...hmmmm.

I am also stitching away on this month's TIF Challenge... I ran out of the floss I was using and need to pick up more.

Also I am working on a costume for Jeff and Keith's Christmas present. I want to get it done super early since I don't know when in December we will be moving...
check back in a few days to see the challenge piece...

Projects!

I have finally finished the project I bought the sewing machine for in the first place!

I made Jimmy some custom pajama pants!
I thought making clothes would be hard, but this pattern was super simple!

Jimmy picked out this super bright 80's-ish crayon fabric all by himself.


Pneumonia got a matching pair of pants, including a tail hole.


Then I whipped out train flannel pj's ...



and plaid like dad pj's. Jimmy really likes his new pants and often wants to wear them all day!


I finished up the Prairie Girl quilt. I have been dragging my feet on this one because I thought the prairie points were going to be hard, but they weren't at all.


Cute jumbo prairie points...


This American Hero quilt is also finished and will be delivered this weekend.


It was also quilted in the loop and star pattern.


I am waiting for the compass quilt to come back from quilting (due this week sometime, hopefully) and I will have some embellishing and the binding to do on it and I will have another quilt done! Yea!
So now I am back to working on some embroidery and then I have a couple of tops to finish assembling, and keep chipping away at the wisp (work in slow progress) pile!
Happy stitching!

July Take It Further.

I have finished the TIF challenge for this month! Yea!
I picked up the thread that matched the color scheme and found this FQ that just happens to have the same colors, too. It shaped the course of the project.

The theme was the words half way mark. When I think of half way through the year, as we are right now, I can't help think of summer. And Lemonade.


I drew up this sketch after a couple of tries...


I decided to try carbon paper to transfer the design instead of the iron on pencil. It worked fairly easily, and was easier to see. (don't mind the baby hand trying to snatch the fabric...)


Here is the finished piece all stitched up and bordered with the lemon fabric.


"Lemonade Days"